Abdul Kader Mollah

The story of former Titas Gas sales assistant Abdul Kader Mollah would probably beat all incidents so far known about amassing wealth through illegal means. Believe it or not, as an employee drawing only Tk 4,000 in salary when at career's peak, Mollah accumulated wealth worth over Tk 2,100 crore.
He has 15 industries, 13 flats, 29 vehicles, a five-storey building, a one-storey house, a farmhouse and 45 acres of land and a balance of Tk 18.53 crore.
The startling story was unfolded as a special taskforce of National Coordination Committee (NCC) against Corruption and Serious Crimes started digging into institutional crimes at Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Co Ltd recently.
People have heard about meter readers turning millionaires, but Mollah's story is another testimony to serious corrupt practices at government institutions, especially Titas Gas, Wasa, Rajuk, BTTB and PDB.
Recent newspaper reports said another 130 officials and employees of Titas Gas are ready to return wealth worth over Tk 400 crore.
In his wealth statement, Mollah, whose name is on the list of corruption suspects, told the NCC taskforce of having wealth worth Tk 208 crore. But according to the taskforce, it would not be less than Tk 2,100 crore.
Kader Mollah even boasts about his business acumen: "Do you think I have stolen this money? This money comes from my business," he told reporters.
He claimed that he owns only five industries as "only the running industries should be counted".
The taskforce will send Mollah's wealth statement to the Anti-Corruption Commission.
Kader Mollah joined Titas Gas as an ordinary employee in 1985 and retired voluntarily after 12 years as a sales assistant. During his service at Titas, he developed good relationship with a BNP-backed CBA (collective bargaining agent) leader and ended up as a close aide to him.
Although Mollah was a sales assistant, his colleagues said he used to work as a supervisor using his influence.
Through his connections with dishonest officials, Mollah built close contacts with many industries. He used to provide these industries with illegal gas connections and played a role in reducing their gas bills, thus earning huge money in return.
Much of his income at the time would also come from controlling transfers and postings of Titas staffs, said sources.
With money pouring in, Mollah dreamt of setting up industries.
Mollah's former colleagues said none of his industries came under the enquiries conducted by Titas during the whole tenure of the BNP-led four-party alliance government.
After his voluntary retirement in 1997, Mollah was mostly involved with commercial activities of Titas directly and indirectly, said sources.
Hailing from Panchkandi of Narsingdi, Mollah has a three-storey house at Tinishpur in Narsingdi town. He plans to build a swimming pool on the third floor of his house near the municipal stadium.
The taskforce asked Mollah for his wealth statement on October 25 and later from his family. On November 4, Mollah submitted the wealth accounts of his mother Noorjahan Begum, wife Nasima Begum, daughters Kona, Deena and Aduri, son-in-law Sharif Hossain Jahangir, adopted daughter Salma Akter Runa, brother Chan Mia Mollah, his wife Mazida Akter and another brother A Rahim.
Mollah has 15 industries in the names of himself, his wife and other family members.
These include Thermex Textile, Aduri Apparels, Thermex Cotton Spinning, Thermex Melange Spinning Mills, Thermex Home Fabrics Ltd, Thermex Knit Yarn, Thermex Blended Yarn, Thermex Group, Thermex Denim, Aduri Knit Composite, Aduri Washing and Printing, Aduri CNG Refuelling and Filling Station, Gazipur Gas Company, Padma Enterprise and Nakshi Textile Dyeing and Printing Industries Ltd.
In his wealth statement, he showed movable and immovable property worth Tk 58.78 crore in his name and in shares. These properties are actually worth Tk 85.54 crore.
Although his wife has been shown to have properties worth Tk 49.88 crore, those are worth Tk 92.61 crore. Properties in the name of his daughter Kona have been shown to be worth Tk 35.35 crore, Deena's Tk 35.33 crore, and Aduri's 6.78 lakh.
Mollah has a 5,536-squarefeet flat at Naya Paltan, a 1,800-sft flat at Shantinagar, a 2,899-sft flat at Dhanmondi, a 1,640-sft flat at Siddheshwari and a 1,450-sft flat at Kakrail in the capital.
He claimed that the price of one square foot of the flat at 30/A, VIP Road in Naya Paltan would be Tk 1,554. It was, however, learnt that its highest selling price was Tk 4,000.
Mollah has flats at Chamelibagh, Dhanmondi, Purana Paltan, Bailey Road, Gulshan and Banani in the names of his wife, daughters and other family members. There is a five-storey building on Sangeeta Road in Narsingdi in his wife's name.
Kader Mollah has 29 different kinds of cars, microbuses and lorries, which he showed to be worth Tk 4.59 crore although those should cost Tk 13.77 crore.
Talking on curbing corruption at Titas, Special Assistant to the chief adviser Dr M Tamim yesterday said, "There should be stricter provisions for punishment and that have to be implemented properly."
He said the incidents of such corruption and irregularities should be tried under the Gas Act, a law under making.